For the longest time, rent payments weren't considered or included on your credit report, but that's changed recently, for better or worse:

Until recently, rent payments were not factored into your credit score. But in 2010, Experian acquired RentBureau, a specialty credit reporting agency that focused solely on rent payments. In 2011, Experian announced that rent data would appear on a consumer’s credit report. RentBureau allows property managers and other third parties to upload rent payment information – both positive and negative – directly to Experian. TransUnion also now includes rent data on consumers’ credit history when the data is available. Rent appears as a “trade line expense” on your TransUnion credit report.

Reception has been mixed. Some advocates worry that tenants whose rent payments are reported will feel less inclined to exercise certain rights – such as handle a neglected repair and withhold a portion of the rent to cover the cost – for fear their rent will be reported as unpaid or late.

The latter point (a more than valid one) aside, CreditSesame goes on to outline a number of services that can get your rent payment history on your credit report. William Paid, for example, handles payments between you and your landlord (and subsequently report your regular payment habits to Experian for inclusion on your credit report.

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If you're not a fan of using a middleman service, or you're happy with the way you handle rent now, you can try a service like Rental Kharma or Rent Reporters, both of which allow you to show a history or regular rental payments or proof that you have paid your rent on time as a way to report your good habits to ctedit agencies without handling your money for you.

CreditSesame notes (and we think it's worth mentioning too) that rental payments aren't factored into your FICO score specifically, but they will factor into your VantageScore (and some other scores listed on this graphic) and listed on your report. Evictions and collections related to not paying your rent, however, do impact your FICO score. Hit the link below for more detail on these services.